Driving Urban Transitions (DUT) Call 2025

The Driving Urban Transitions (DUT) Call 2025 is a significant European initiative designed to support transnational research and innovation projects that aim to accelerate the transition towards climate-neutral and resilient cities. This partnership operates under Horizon Europe and involves 25 participating countries. The total budget for this funding opportunity is approximately €80 million, with €44 million allocated specifically for the DUT Call 2025. The initiative follows an open, two-stage application process that includes a pre-proposal deadline on November 17, 2025, and a full proposal deadline on April 23, 2026. Each project is expected to have a duration of three years, and typically, the funding per project ranges from €1 million to €2 million, with around 40 to 50 projects planned to be funded annually.

Eligibility requirements stipulate that each proposal must include a consortium of at least three partners from three different participating countries, with at least one partner being a local authority or municipality. Among the partner countries, two must be EU member states or Horizon Associated Countries. A diverse range of applicants is welcomed, including research organizations, universities, companies, urban authorities, non-governmental organizations, civil society, and cultural sector actors.

The call emphasizes three thematic transition pathways: the 15-minute City focusing on urban mobility, Circular Urban Economies aiming at sustainable resource usage, and Positive Energy Districts that deal with energy-positive urban development. The initiative intends to accommodate a wide spectrum of project stages, from fundamental research to practical implementation, enabling applicants to address various aspects of urban transitions.

The application process consists of two distinct stages. In the first stage, pre-proposals are evaluated, and successful candidates are invited to submit full proposals. The evaluation of proposals will consider not only their innovative aspects but also the impact on urban governance and stakeholder engagement. The successful projects, expected to commence in late 2026 or early 2027, must demonstrate the added value of transnational collaboration.

Funding is provided directly by national or regional funding agencies, which may have specific requirements for co-funding based on their policies. While no explicit success rates are provided, the structure of the call suggests opportunities for numerous projects over the anticipated funding allocation. The funding model is decentralized, allowing agency-specific rules to come into play while the overall coordination remains under the DUT Partnership framework.

In summary, the DUT Call 2025 aims to engage diverse actors in addressing urban challenges through research and innovation, supporting the development of sustainable cities via collaborative transnational projects.

The European Partnership Driving Urban Transitions (DUT) Call 2025 supports transnational research and innovation projects addressing urban challenges. The goal is to aid cities in transitioning towards a more sustainable economy and functioning. The call focuses on three Transition Pathways: Positive Energy Districts (PED), the 15-Minute City (15mC), and Circular Urban Economies (CUE).

The call's opening date is September 1, 2025. There are multiple cut-off deadlines. The deadline for pre-proposals is November 17, 2025, at 13:00 (Brussels time). The deadline for full proposals is April 23, 2026, at 13:00 (Brussels time). The total funding available is 80,000,000.00 €. The project acronym is DUT. The full name of the EU funded project is European Partnership Driving Urban Transitions. The grant agreement number is 101069506. The topic is HORIZON-CL5-2021-D2-01-16 - Co-Funded Partnership: Driving Urban Transitions to a sustainable future (DUT).

Selected projects will receive funding directly from national/regional Funding Agencies from participating countries. A list of these countries can be found on the Call website. Each proposal must involve at least three partners from three different countries on the list, and these partners must be eligible for funding from their respective national/regional Funding Agency. Two of the three countries must be eligible for EC Co-Fund (EU member states or Horizon Associated Countries). The added value of transnational collaboration must be clearly stated in the proposal.

The call is open to a wide range of scientific disciplines and encourages interdisciplinary approaches. It supports a variety of activities, including research, innovation, and implementation. Projects are expected to engage stakeholders (companies, public authorities, NGOs) and consider users’ needs when defining project goals.

The call topics are based on the three Transition Pathways (TP): Positive Energy Districts (PED), 15-minute City (15mC), and Circular Urban Economies (CUE). For each TP, specific topics are defined, outlining the context, issues, and opportunities to inspire research and innovation ideas. Examples of expected results and outcomes are provided, which can be addressed through either a research-oriented approach or an innovation-oriented approach.

Projects can address multiple topics, even from different TPs, within the same proposal, as urban transition issues are interconnected. Each project must select a main TP that aligns most closely with its subject matter and may indicate other involved TPs. While the proposal will be evaluated primarily within its main TP, crosscutting characteristics will also be considered during the assessment.

The application process involves two steps: pre-proposals and full proposals. Both must be submitted electronically through the online submission system using provided templates. National-level submissions may also be required.

Transnational eligibility rules include:

Language and Mandatory Forms: Proposals must be in English using the designated form. Proposals in other languages will be ineligible. The form must be completely filled. Page limits, font sizes, and margins must be respected.

Submission: Pre-proposals and full proposals must be submitted on the UEFISCDI electronic submission system, UDiManager (www.uefiscdi-direct.ro), before the deadlines. The pre-proposal deadline is November 17, 2025, at 13:00 (CET). The full proposal deadline is April 23, 2026, at 13:00 (CEST).

Resubmission: Only pre-proposals invited to submit a full proposal are eligible for the second stage. Full proposals based on rejected pre-proposals will be deemed ineligible.

Changes: No fundamental changes initiated by the applicants alone are allowed between the pre-proposal and the full-proposal stages. This includes project objectives, the Main Applicant (and its PI), and the consortium (co-applicants). Minor changes to funding demands per Funding Agency may be allowed, especially with the addition of Inclusion Procedure partners. The Call Secretariat may allow modifications in exceptional, justified cases. Modifications requested by a Funding Agency do not count as changes. By submitting, applicants agree to have their proposal forwarded to all relevant Funding Agencies.

Pre-proposals and full proposals will be assessed using specific evaluation criteria and a common evaluation form. Some sub-criteria are specific to the Research and Innovation (R&I) approach. Each consortium must choose the approach that best fits its proposal's objectives.

The DUT Call Secretariat will verify the eligibility of proposals based on transnational criteria. Participating Funding Agencies will check compliance with their funding rules. Both transnational and Funding Agencies’ eligibility criteria must be met. If one or more Co-applicant(s) is/are not eligible, the proposal may still be eligible if the eligibility criteria are met by the proposal without this/these partner(s). Being "eligible" only means the proposal will be evaluated, not that it will be funded.

Applicants cannot appeal the Expert Panel’s evaluation or the Call Steering Committee’s decision at the transnational level. However, national/regional legal frameworks may allow for objections at those levels, handled by the concerned Funding Agency according to its domestic law. The result of any redress procedure is not call-wide.

Further information can be found on the Partnership website and the Call website (where the Call Text is available). A matchmaking event and a DUT Call 2025 Info Day (online) are scheduled for September 9, 2025, from 10:00 to 13:00 CET.

The call focuses on specific topics within each Transition Pathway:

15-minute City Pathway (15mC):

Next steps for multimodal urban mobility, building on the travel experience.
Reimagining parking – transforming urban parking policies.
Mobility policymaking in context of radical contestation.

Circular Urban Economies Pathway (CUE):

Resilient green and social infrastructure.
Sustainable tourism – circular benefits and challenges.
Public procurement to foster urban greening and circularity.

Positive Energy Districts Pathway (PED):

Driving a just transition: PED strategies in social and subsidised housing.
Ensuring positive socio-economic impact: PEDs in local economies and energy markets.
PEDs in urban heating and cooling strategies.

In summary, the Driving Urban Transitions (DUT) Call 2025 is a funding opportunity aimed at supporting transnational projects that address urban challenges across three key areas: Positive Energy Districts, the 15-Minute City, and Circular Urban Economies. It seeks to foster collaboration between researchers, innovators, and stakeholders from various countries to develop and implement solutions that contribute to more sustainable and functional cities. The call involves a two-stage application process, with specific eligibility criteria and evaluation procedures, and offers a total funding of 80 million euros. The call encourages interdisciplinary approaches and stakeholder engagement to ensure that projects are relevant and impactful in addressing the complex challenges of urban transitions.

Eligible Applicant Types: The call is open to a wide range of applicants, including companies, public authorities, NGOs, and other stakeholders. The call explicitly mentions local authorities and municipalities, service and infrastructure providers, and citizens. It supports a large range of activities, from research to innovation and implementation.

Funding Type: The projects selected within this call will be funded directly by national/regional Funding Agencies. Therefore, the funding type is grant.

Consortium Requirement: A consortium of multiple applicants is required. Each proposal must involve at least three partners from three different countries eligible for funding by their respective national/regional Funding Agency. Two of those three countries must be eligible for EC Co-Fund (EU member states or Horizon Associated Countries).

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is based on the countries participating in the call, which are listed on the Call website. Two of the three required countries must be eligible for EC Co-Fund (EU member states or Horizon Associated Countries).

Target Sector: The program targets urban challenges and the transition towards a more sustainable economy and functioning in cities. Specific sectors include energy (Positive Energy Districts), urban planning (15-Minute City), and circular economy (Circular Urban Economies). The call also touches upon areas like urban mobility, green infrastructure, sustainable tourism, and public procurement.

Mentioned Countries: The call mentions EU member states and Horizon Associated Countries as being eligible for EC Co-Fund. A full list of participating countries is available on the Call website.

Project Stage: The call intends to support a large range of activities, from research to innovation and implementation. This suggests that projects at various stages of maturity, including research, development, validation, demonstration, and implementation, are eligible.

Funding Amount: The total funding available for the call is 80,000,000 EUR. The funding amount for individual projects will vary depending on the national/regional Funding Agencies involved.

Application Type: The application type is an open call with a two-step application procedure: pre-proposals and full proposals.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money through grants, funded by national/regional Funding Agencies.

Application Stages: Applicants have to pass through two stages: pre-proposal and full proposal. Only pre-proposals invited to submit a full proposal will be eligible in the second stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned in the provided text.

Co-funding Requirement: Co-funding may be required at the national/regional level, depending on the rules of the participating Funding Agencies. The call mentions that projects will be funded directly by national/regional Funding Agencies, implying that their specific rules apply.

Summary:

The Driving Urban Transitions (DUT) Call 2025 is a transnational call for research and innovation projects aimed at addressing urban challenges and supporting the transition towards sustainable cities. The call focuses on three main themes or Transition Pathways: Positive Energy Districts (PED), the 15-Minute City (15mC), and Circular Urban Economies (CUE).

The call is open to a wide range of applicants, including companies, public authorities, NGOs, and other stakeholders. Projects must be submitted by consortia of at least three partners from three different countries participating in the call, with two of those countries being EU member states or Horizon Associated Countries.

The application process involves a two-step procedure: submission of a pre-proposal, followed by an invitation to submit a full proposal for those pre-proposals that are successful. The total funding available for the call is 80,000,000 EUR, with individual projects being funded by national/regional Funding Agencies.

The call aims to support projects ranging from research to innovation and implementation, covering topics such as urban mobility, green infrastructure, sustainable tourism, and energy efficiency in urban districts. The overall goal is to enable local authorities, service providers, and citizens to translate global strategies into local action, fostering sustainable urban development and enhancing the quality of life in cities.